Sporting events have long been spectator events in which fans watch as spectators, rather than participate as active participants that are able to control, or influence, the gameplay unfolding on the field. Fantasy sports systems enable fans to use their computing devices—such as smartphones and other mobile devices—to select rosters of players whose on-field performance will be attributed to their “fantasy team” for purposes of generating a team score. While such fantasy leagues increase fan interest in the actual sporting events, fan participation and decision-making in such leagues has no bearing on the underlying real-world competitions and sporting events.
Recently, some systems have been introduced that enable a modicum of fan participation in the live, real-time strategy taking place during a sporting event. For example, certain systems allow fans to vote on a strategy decision (e.g., playcalling, substitutions) using a limited number of options typically selected in real-time by a coach, and have the ‘winning’ outcome be relayed to a device operated by the coach on the sideline to implement the strategy. In those systems, however, there are two deficiencies that lead to less-than-optimal engagement with the fan: 1) the coach has tight control over the set of options available for fans to choose from; and 2) the coach retains the ability to use his own judgment to either accept the outcome as voted by the fans or make his own decision that is independent from the fans' choice—thereby limiting the effect that fan decision-making can have on the actual game.
To improve fan participation and interest, a solution to provide a transparent, immersive and interactive sports management experience, in which fan participation can have immediate, real-world effects on the field, pitch, or court, is desired. Transparency in the voting and decision-making process is a key factor to providing a trusted system for fans and for players in the game.